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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. rock — a stone
  3. plane — a tool
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. rule — government
  6. degree — temperature
  7. spell — a short time
  8. rule — a law
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. rock — music
  13. ground — crushed
  14. degree — from a university
  15. ground — the earth
  16. ground — a position
  17. spell — letters
  18. degree — an amount
  19. spell — magic
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. hand — help
  23. vault — a safe
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com